Improvement in paper-bag machines



Y L. D. BENNER.

'(109.)v Paper Bag Machine No. I22,5I0.

Patented Ian. 9, 1872.

Y LIL/W l g5 "1 UNITED STATES' LORENZO D. BENNER, OF BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN PAPER-BAG MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 122,510, dated lTanuary9, 1872.

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, LORENZO D. BENNER, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in theManufacture of Paper Bags, and I do hereby 'declare that the following,taken in connection with the drawing which accompanies and forms part ofthis specification, is a description of my invention sufficient toenable those skilled in the art to practice it.

The invention relates to an improved method of forming paper bags, theimprovement having particular reference to the manner of folding theedges of the paper to bring the parts into proper position for the unionof the edges. In. practicing my method I take a long strip of paper ofdouble the length of the bag tobe formed and fold it at the center ofits length. I then use a series of long formers having-at their sides oredges hinged leaves or blades, by movement and action of which upon theedges of the paper said edges are folded and reverse-folded and broughtinto position to be lapped, and to form a tube closed or unseained atone end, (when the paper is doubled,) and so folded as to form a bagrectangular in crosssection when distended. The invention consists infirst doubling or folding the strip of paper at the center of itslength, next turning each of the four edges outwardly, next folding ordoubling each edgepart so bent, (the two adjacent edges 4toward eachother,) the iirst folding being effected upon a suitable centerformerintroduced between the halves of the double strip, and the next foldingbeing effected by outward movement of the hinged leaves or blades of thecenter folder, and the subsequent folding or doubling of the foldededges being effected by the hinged blades or leaves of one or moreauxiliary formers, the edge turned by the center former being doubledover the turned-up leaf or blade of the center former by turning downupon it the -blade of the auxiliary former. The two lastturned edgesbeing of such width that they slightly lap, or being made to lap, theunion of the two edges on each side of the formers formthe paper into abag which, when distended, is rectangular in section.

The drawing represents the formers, and the bag in the various stages ofits formation. At

A is shown an end view of the three formers placed together. B is theplan of the center former. C is an end view of the three formers,showing the edges of the paper turned by the various blades of theformers. D and E show end views of the paper in the different stages ofthe folding operation. G is a'side view of the finished bag. H is an endview of the finished and distended bag. I is' a plan of the finished bagcompressed for packing. K is an end view of the bag as it leaves theformer 5 and L represents the mouth end of the bag, shown in Fig. I.

In making the bag I take a long rectangular strip of paper, I7, ofdouble the length of the bag to be formed 5 this strip I fold at thecenter line x x; I then fold over each edge on the line z z and towardthe center line of the outer side of the half of the paper, of which itforms an-edge, as seen at a, the paper being folded from the fold a; won the lines o o to enable the edges to be turned over; I then fold onthe line y y each ofthe edges so folded, as seen at b, and this bringsthe two edges c c together, or so that they lap or are lapped, and theunion of these edges by cement completes the bag.

This is the manner in which the bag would be formed by hand. To make iton the formers I introduce between the halves d e a center former, f, ofthe length of the bag to be made, having on each edge a pair of hingedblades or leaves, g h. On each side of this center former is anauxiliary tubular forment' or k, having on each edge a hinged blade orleaf, L. The respective blades being in the position seen at O when thepaper is introduced, the paper over or under each blade g h is turned bysaid blade against the vertical face of the adjacent upper or lowertubular former i or k, the paper at the end or fold m w being foldedangularly, as seen at F. Each edge part thus folded projects upbeyondthe blade g or h, as seen at m, and all the edges being thusturned., this projecting part is then folded over the leaf g or h by theadjacent leaf Z, thus bringing the two edges at each side together, orin position to be lapped and united by cement. It will be seen that byfolding the paper angularly at the line @o w I am enabled to fold overthe edges smoothly, or without rupture or distortion of the paper, andthe goring pieces o2 o2 and the parts between the ends of the folds o 01o and the fold :v x form a smooth bottom when the bag is distended. Thelower blades k of the center former may be rigid or unhinged and extendout from the center plate in the plane of said plate, as when the twohinged blades g l have turned and reverse-folded one edge 5 the otheredge, being turned over the stationary blade 11 is in position to meetthe edge turned by the two hinged blades. When the edges are thusfolded, and the formers are withdrawn and the edges are united bycement, the folds are or may be all pressed down atly upon one side ofthe bag, as seen at I, and in this condition the bags may be verycompaetly packed in layers or packages for use or transportation. Whendistended the folds may be pressed slightly outward beyond the plane ofthe side of the rectangle, when the paper Will retain its distended formand the bag vvill remain open to be filled.

By a suitable system of paper rolls and feed and guide-rolls the papermay be automatically carried between two guide-rolls by the centerformer, and into position between the former and the cut-off, and thefolding-blades operated to produce the folds, a cementing apparatusbeing also applied if desirable, so as to automatically fold and cementthe edges and complete the bag.

I claiml. The improvement in making paper bags, consisting in firstdoubling over or folding the strip of paper across the center of itslength and then folding and reverse-folding the side edges, asdescribed, and uniting the lappingedges, so as to form a bag of theshape shown and described.

2. The formers f, z', and k, having, respectively, the hinged foldingleaves g and h and l, as described, the whole serving to fold the paper,as set forth.

LORENZO D. BENNER.

